The Liberia National Police (LNP) has charged the Operations Manager of Global Logistics Services (GLS) and several other individuals for their alleged roles in what authorities described as a sophisticated cocaine trafficking network that used the cargo system at Roberts International Airport (RIA) to smuggle narcotics.
Announcing the findings of an extensive joint investigation on Saturday, July 4, 2026, Inspector General for Police Gregory Coleman said the case began after security officials intercepted six suspicious boxes that had been falsely declared as containing Maggi cubes and lappa.
According to the police, the shipment was prepared for export on June 5, 2026, but discrepancies in its declared weight, screening images and shipping documentation prompted further scrutiny, preventing it from leaving the country.
When the cargo was re-scanned and physically inspected on June 7, IG Coleman narrated that investigators discovered a white powdery substance that was later confirmed by the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) to be cocaine.
Moreover, he said the Joint Special Investigative Team, comprising the LNP, LDEA and other national security agencies, expanded the investigation beyond the seizure itself by examining cargo records, airway bills, financial transactions, call logs, digital evidence and witness testimony.
“The evidence establishes that after the consignment was exposed, there were deliberate efforts by members of the trafficking network to bribe security personnel, recover the shipment and interfere with the seizure,” Coleman disclosed.
However, the investigation has identified Paul J. King, Operations Manager of Global Logistics Services, as having allegedly conspired to facilitate, store and transport the six-box cocaine shipment through the airport cargo chain. Investigators also concluded that GLS, through its operational structure and responsible management channels, provided substantial assistance to the alleged trafficking scheme.
As a result, King and GLS have been charged under multiple provisions of the Amended Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of 2023 and Chapter 10 of Liberia’s Revised Penal Law.
Police through IG Coleman also charged Michael U.S. Browne, also known as Rahim or Raheem Bah, alleging that he organized the shipment, coordinated the cargo using false declarations and attempted to recover the cocaine after it had been seized by authorities.
Also, he said Oscar J. Browne was linked to an earlier shipment processed in May 2026 using the same alleged method and to communications concerning the June shipment after the cocaine hd already been discovered.
Investigators further identified Emmanuel Kpah as the individual who allegedly delivered both the May and June consignments to Global Logistics Services. The head of the police also charged Usman Ali, identified as the consignee based in the United Kingdom, in absentia.
He explained that said suspects remain outside Liberia or are evading arrest, adding that arrest warrants, extradition requests and international law enforcement cooperation are being pursued to bring them before the courts.
Coleman revealed that investigators uncovered evidence of an earlier shipment processed in May using the same false cargo declaration method, indicating that the June seizure was part of a broader criminal enterprise rather than an isolated incident.He emphasized that the investigation remains active and is focused on identifying every participant, financier, organizer, courier, facilitator, insider and foreign connection linked to the alleged drug trafficking network.
The Inspector General also announced that authorities are reviewing cargo handling procedures, screening protocols, chain-of-custody measures and other security safeguards at Roberts International Airport to strengthen the country’s defenses against international drug trafficking.
